Means for coöperative advertising.



rrnn STATES lrirririvr onirica.-l

Joi-iN i-i. iuioiiii, or YoNKEiis, NEW YORK, AssiGNoR, BY MESNE AssiGN M ENTS, TO THE CORPORATION.

MEANS Fon COPERATIVE ADvERTi'siNG.

ing a novel method of co-operatiif'e advertisn, f i 'lhe obJec-t of my invention is to provide means whereby, t ir A ough an intermedia-ry, the producers of' various commodities and the publishers of various periodicals may eo- -opcrate in advertising, and thus each great-ly increase the scope of itspublicity, and also decrease the relative cost to it thereof,. wl1ile, concurrently, both advertise the intermediary, which, in turn, also advertises thenix A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the amount of advertising may bc proportioned to the returns therefrom, and the cost thereof limited to correspond to its -1 iroduetive results.

A further object. of my invention is to provide ineans whereby a producer-or publisher can quickly and accurately ascertain the voluiuc of sales of his articles in a given locality, =the results of his advertising, whether iroductive or otherwise., and the fields w 1ere such advertising will vbe either unnecessary or advantage us.

A further diijeet' of my iin-'ention is to increase the demand for the standard goods and )ublications issued by the respective inemliers of the cti-operative system, and to prevent unfair competition by ininii'nizing,r t ieir fraudulent imitation.

1 accomplish these objects bythe use of my invention as hereinafter described and claimed, reference beiner had to the accom;

panyiiig drawings, which forni apart of this sl'ieciiication.

. The device consists of a coupon leaflet vconiprising,r a premium list ol"iiulilica'tions'a purchasing list of` commodities and their producers, a detachaie. and redeeinaiiie coupon, with Ainter referring letters and numbers upon the various parts.

In the drawings, Ligure 1 shows the front page with the coupon and a portion olthe premium list. Fig. 2 shows the back page, with a part of the purehasiiifor list.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled January 23. IBS. Serial No. 242,256.

. Patentedmay'ii, 1907.

selected series of publications4 of publishers practicing my system, one onlybeing chosen :from each class, or ield; of subject, religious, financial, sporting, etc.- Opposite the naine Aof each is a number indicating thenumber of Whole coupons necessary ,tobe secured by a purchaser of the articles contained in -the purchasing list to procure la paidup year- 1y subscri tion to that particularpublication.' Y'

T e purchasing list comprises@ list lof articles ofvgeneral consumption,-issued by Vtheir respective producers who, .,intur-n, .practice my system, and after each, the .naineof the producer of that article .f4 ":Each articleis one of a distinctclass of merchandise so that no two producers .arebrought into competition. Opposite the naine.' ofv 'each -',l)rand or proways used to' represent that particular producer. -If asin'gle producer'advertises more gether with the brand. letter, always representing :that particular article'of .-tliat particular producer. The .coupon contains a statement of its`face value, which value is, in my system, absolutcly'lixed as itsredeeiiiable value in cash equivalency. It also contains the address of tlielintermediary, the idcntilicaton number and brand letter, together with a checking number, the importance-ol which will inoreiclearly-appearhercafter. Q;

In practice the device is usedas'follows: The intermediary securesthe cri-operation of a number .ofpublishers of periodicals or and a nuinher of non-competitive producers, one only for each kind of article on thelist. The names of these publications .are printed upon the premium list ofthe leallct, and the naniesof the. producers, together with the artic] es produced .by each, upon the purchasing.; list. Phicliproducer agrees to inclose a coupon leaflet in each package of --the article advertised hy ini thereon, and each .puhvlisher contracts to giye spacefor a reproduction of a fac-simile ofthe leaflet. Tlieconsinner detaches the coupon found iii'various staple articles purchased by him., forwards the proper number of tlili to the intermel diaify, and is credited by it willi a paid-up The premium 'list consists of the naines of a.

than one article, each article-is lettered con-A secutively, the identification niliinber, to

MAGAZINE AND -BOOK COMPANY OF NEW- YORK, A

ducer is an identification nuiiiber'ivhich is alprinted publications, one from caclifclass,

subscription to the publication selected by him from the list, the intermediary' company paying cash to the publisher for such sub scription so credited. The intermediary company then sorts the coupons by means of the identification numbers, and forwards them to the Aissuing producers, who redeem -them at theirfacc value in cash to the interthe cost of advertising is ratably proportioned to the resulting sales, and paid upon that basis solely, a system of guaranty iinpossible under the systems nov in use, nonproductive 'advertising costing the advertiser nothing.

An important feature of this coupon leaflet is the system of inter-referring identification and checking numbers. The coupons attached to the leaflets delivered to any producer bear thel identification number assigned solely to him, and if he advertises more than one article, those coupons placed in one article bear one brand-letter, and those inclosed in another article, bear another. In addition each coupon has achecking number, by means of which the producer can trace the package in which it was contained, and which, likewise, serves as a safeguard against counterfeiting of the coupon 4or ofl the commodity. The importance of these figures and letters can hardly be overstated. It both enables the intermediary to identify the issuing producer and thus charge him for his advertising proportionately to the resulting sales, and,`since in premiumadvertising, statistics have been compiled showing the proportion of coupons returned, to the total number issued, the producer is enabled to determine Where his'goods are being sold, making it possible to decide where his advertising is needed 'and where it is superfluous.A In short, it gives the producer a uick and accurate report of the trade-conditions in any given locality to which his goods containing the coupon leaflets are sent.

It is obvious that my means for co-operative advertising may be embodied Within a leaflet, orsingle-sheet, as shown, or may be expanded by a longer list of premiums or vcndible commodities, so as to require a number of sheets, without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is aise eb fi is that other modifications of form may be silbstituted without substantially altering I idea, of'mcans and instrumentalities herein described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

v1. Means for co-operative advertising comprising a leaflet, consisting of a list. of periodicals, a list of commodities, a list of producers of said commodities, and a coupon, said cou pon containing a notice that it is redeemable in payment for subscriptions to thc periodicals contained in said list.

'2. Menus for cooperative advertising comprising the combination of' a printed leaflet and an attached coupon; said leaflet com prising a classified list of periodicals or similar publications, a list of commodities of' dillcrent kinds and their respective producers, said coupon containinga promise of the issuing party to redeem said coupon and directions to the holder for securing such redemption.

3.' Means for co-opcrative advertising coniprising the combination with a printed leaflet containing a classified list of periodicals or similar publications, a list of commodities of' `different kinds and their respective non-coinpeting producers, of an attached coupon containing the redemption 'agreement of a third party of issue.

4. Means for co-operatii-'e` advertising and means for ascertaining the results therefrom,

comprising aleafletcontaining a prcmiunr list offperiodicals; a purchasing list of producers and a coupon, each producer in the list being provided with anl identification number and -each coupon` being provided with the number of the producer with whose goods it is iiiclosed and with an individual checking number by`which it can be traced. 5. 1l/fe'ans for co-o erative advertising coniprisingV a leaflet h aving thereon a list of commodities and their respective producers, a list of periodicals and a coupon containing a notice that it is redeemable in payment for sub scriptions to the periodicals comprised in the list, said coupon containing means for identifying the producer With Whose goods it was inclosed.

6. Means for co-operative advertisin consist-ing of a coupon leaflet comprising a ist of ,commodities and their respective producers,

a-list of periodicals, an attached coupon and identification numbers upon the list of producers and cou on providiiu1r means for identiying the pro ucer with whose goods it was inclosed whenthe said coupon has been dctaclied.

7. The hereinbefore described means for co-operative advertising comprising in a leaflet a coupon, a list of publications, a list of commodities 'and their respective producers, a notice that the coupons are found only in the commodities named, a notice that the eclipse isredeeinable in payment fersubscriptions to the periodicals named, and numbers and letters for checking and identification, substantially as set forth. i

8. Means for co-opcrative advertising consisting of a leaflet, comprising a list nl" commodities and their respective producers, a list IOO IOS

lIO

Ils

. purchase a subscription to each, a listof comof periodicals, and a-coupon, said coupon conl taining a statement that it will be redeemed in payment for subscriptions to the period'-V icals named in the list, an identification number corresponding to the list number of the producer with Whose goods it is inclosed, and a checking number constituting means for tracing the packagev Within which it Was inclosed,

9. Means for (Jo-operative advertising consisting of a leaflet comprising a list of periodicals and the number of coupons needed to modities and their respective producers, an

identification number opposite the name of each producer and a coupon, said coupon containin a statement of its cash value, a statement t at it is redeemable in payment for subscriptions for the eriodicals comprised in the list, the name and) address of the redeeming agent, an identiiication number corresponding to that of the producer with whose goods it is inclosed, and a checking number constituting means for tracin the package from which the coupon was o tained.

JOHN H. REOHR. 

